The Bestseller Experiment

In the latest of our Academy All-Stars mini episodes, we talk to Kate Baker who tells us how being ultraflexible and never worrying about the word "should" helped her make the most of the Academy and publish her acclaimed debut novel Maid of Steel. We also discuss branded earrings, nails and Toblerone!

David McCloskey is a former CIA analyst and his smash hit debut novel Damascus Station was inspired by his time working in field stations in the Middle East. David tells us how the novel started as an exercise in processing his thoughts about the events in Syria, what he learned from writing for US presidents, how letting go of his ego helped him write a novel, and the role played in his career by a hot dog machine in Langley...

Stuart Gibbon is a former UK senior police detective who served in London and the East Midlands. In 2014, he launched his own business providing a consultancy service for writers. Stuart also appears on TV and radio as a policing expert. He's also co-written a series of books with Stephen Wade: The Crime Writers' Casebook, Being a Detective and Catching a Killer. And a series of indispensable guides on criminal investigation procedures. In this packed Deep Dive on UK police procedures, Stuart identifies the common errors made by writers new to crime, and answers our listener questions.

Jayne Davis is a leading Regency Romance author, with nearly 40 million KU page reads, and through sharing her research on her blog she has become a go to resource for authors in the genre. Jayne reveals the essential elements of period romance, tips for writing period appropriate dialogue, and why publishing more books creates its own marketing.

Derek and Dave Philpott have been writing strange letters to famous musicians for ten years now, and getting even stranger ones back. Their first book, Dear Mr. Kershaw, became a cult hit and the follow-up Dear Mr. Pop Star was released by Unbound Publishing to more acclaim. And now they return with a Punk edition, Grammar Free in the UK, which is raising money for the charity Crisis. Dave tells us how these extraordinary projects came about, and how it first gained momentum when his dad saw how many Facebook friends he had and suggested, 'Why not ask them for a tenner each?'

Rosie Andrews' debut novel The Leviathan is rooted in her passion for history and she tells us how she was inspired by the like of Thomas Hobbes to create page-turning historical fiction that's relevant to readers today. And Rosie tells us why she abandoned her first unpublished historical fiction novel because she felt that it lacked an authentic voice.

Mark Edwards returns to the podcast to celebrate ten years since his first solo novel The Magpies. He tells us about his changing relationship with the book that changed his life, how he's sustained a career writing standalone thrillers, and why it's important to have a direct connection with his readers.

Matt Brown is the author of such wonderful children's books at the Compton Valance series (about a boy who creates a time machine from a 13-week-old mouldy sandwich), the Dreary Inkling School books, and The Mab, a re-telling of the Mabinogi, which might be the oldest written stories in the history of Britain. Matt was also TV presenter, notably on Nickelodeon, and he's a podcaster, but don't hold that against him. He tells us what he's discovered writing for children, why it takes a village to make a book, and why he keeps all his rejection letters...

Twin brothers Zack and Michael Urlocker write together as M.Z. Urlocker, and their debut novel The Man from Mittelwerk is a 50s noir thriller with a dash of science fiction. They take us through their collaborative process, how they defined their roles in the project, and whether or not they'll work together again.

As well as starring in the likes of The Hobbit and Spooks, the actor Richard Armitage is also a prolific audiobook narrator. And now he's written Geneva, an Audible original psychological thriller. Richard tell us how the project came about, and how his background in music, theatre and film helped him develop the characters. And he tells us the things authors do that can irk audiobook narrators.

Simon Scarrow is best known for his Eagles of the Empire series that began in 2000 with Under the Eagle featuring Roman soldier heroes Cato and Macro. 2022 saw the release of Death to the Emperor, the twenty-first book in the series, and he's also just released Dead of Night, the second of his Berlin wartime thrillers. Simon takes us through his extraordinary career, with tips on historical research, co-writing, developing ideas, and creating a series where the reader can start with the twenty-first book and still enjoy it.

Digital-first publisher Bookouture are now applying their publishing model to science fiction and fantasy with their new imprint Second Sky. We speak to consultant associate publisher Jack Renninson who tells us what Second Sky is looking for, and he answers our listener questions on submissions, pitching to Second Sky, and what's to come in the near future.

Bestselling author Peter May returns to the podcast with his gripping new novel A Winter Grave, a near future thriller where climate change has changed the landscape. Peter talks about coming out of retirement to write without a contract or a deadline, but with passion and a sense of urgency. Mark Stay is joined this week by guest presenter Caimh McDonnell, bestselling author of the Bunny McGarry series and the Stranger Times books, including Love Will Tear Us Apart.

Director Jon Wright joins Mark Stay to answer listener questions on the development of their new monster movie Unwelcome. They reveal what inspired them to write the script, how the story was developed (and was very early abandoned), how Jon blocks and shoots sequences and works with the cast and crew, they offer tips for screenwriters, and they start by discussing, er, chocolate bars.

Lou Abercrombie worked in TV and film production and as a photographer, and a few years ago started writing children's books combining her passion for swimming and mathematics. Her debut novel FIG SWIMS THE WORLD, was longlisted for the Bath Children's Award, and her new book AMAZING MATHS makes the subject of mathematics accessible in a way that we wish was around when we were at school. Lou reveals how water solves her story problems and how she's helped by a waterproof notebook...

Matt Cain endured rejections from thirty agents and fifty publishers before getting his debut novel published… and then it didn't work out. Matt tells us how he made an extraordinary comeback, breaking crowdfunding records with The Madonna of Bolton, having a smash with The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle, and now he's back with Becoming Ted, his latest heartwarming novel about following your dreams.

Cole Haddon is an Australian-American screenwriter and novelist whose first TV commission, Dracula, was produced by NBC and SKY and starred Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Psalms for the End of the World is his debut novel and Cole tells us how he was inspired by looking into the eyes of one of his young children, why he's happy to fail, how he deals with notes, and he gives us tips for writing scripts and graphic novels.

Christian Cameron is an incredibly prolific writer and military historian who also writes as Miles Cameron. His new novel as Miles is Against All Gods, an epic set in the Bronze Age that gives a new twist to familiar myths and legends. Christian tells how he learned to write without doubting himself, how historical recreation has helped with research, and why there are no minor characters.

The Two Marks don their terrible Christmas sweaters and hats to celebrate the festive season and look forward to 2023. Mark Stay tests Mr D with a super-duper mega quiz, we discover that Americans don't have Christmas crackers, we reveal where Santa comes from, tell terrible jokes, and we discuss taking stock and setting goals for 2023… and much more!

In 1983 Margaret Weis took on a job as a book editor at TSR, producers of the Dungeons and Dragons® role-playing game. Little did she know that the DRAGONLANCE® series she created with Tracy Hickman would go on to sell over 25 million copies and still be in print after almost 30 years. And now they're back with a new trilogy! Margaret tells us about her incredible career, the three tips that Gary Paulsen gave her, she answers our listener questions and shares the words of encouragement that kept her going when she got her first rejections.

Elizabeth Noble is a Sunday Times bestselling author whose debut novel The Reading Group sold a quarter of a million copies. She's since sold over a million and with her tenth novel, Other People's Husbands, she skilfully works with a large cast of characters to create an authentic drama with lots of moving parts, but still she's able to sell a novel with just two lines.

SJ Bennett had a successful career writing award-winning books for teenagers, but after a change in the market and a life-changing diagnosis, she decided to completely change tack and began a brand new crime series, Her Majesty the Queen Investigates, which became an international smash, selling over 100,000 copies. With the latest book in the series, Murder Most Royal, Sophia reveals what inspired her to make Queen Elizabeth II her crime-solving protagonist, and how real life events might affect the series' future.

Louise Willder has been a copywriter at Penguin Books for twenty-five years. During this time, she estimates she has produced about 5,000 blurbs. She now shares her knowledge and experience in her amazing new book, Blurb Your Enthusiasm, which looks at the evolution of blurbs. In this Deep Dive, Louise shares incredibly helpful tips for writing your own and answers our listener questions on blurbs, word count, blurbs for series, multiple POVs and more!

Harriet Tyce tells us about her brilliant new thriller It Ends at Midnight, how the amazing reception to her debut Blood Orange made her wonder if she could do it again, and how she gets herself into trouble by trying to outdo what she's written before. And in the extended version for Academy members and podcast Patrons, the Two Marks discuss the halo effect, difficult second novels, going too far, changing your mindset and much more!

Alan Gorevan is an Irish thriller writer and winner of the Irish Writers' Centre Novel Fair competition. Alan was preparing his debut novel for submission when the 2020 lockdown came along, and he thought his dream was over before it had even started. But then Alan decided he wasn't going to sit around and wait for agents and publishers, and decided to self publish. Starting with some short stories, Alan's 2020 led a to an extraordinary run of publication and he takes us through it step by step, culminating with his novel The Kindness of Psychopaths. And in the extended version for Academy members and podcast Patrons, the Two Marks discuss reading your book like a reader, the self-publishing learning curve, the importance of titles, and much more!

Tracey Lien's debut All That's Left Unsaid was sold in a nine-way auction and she tells us why it was important that a book that deals with heavy issues needed to be a fun read. Tracey tells us the most important lesson she learned about readers while writing for the LA Times, how she found an agent, why she was baffled by Jane Austen and how a daily writing habit gave her the confidence she needed to finish her novel. And in the extended version for Academy members and podcast Patrons, the Two Marks discuss balancing story and big issues, readers not owing you anything, and having an idea that's easy for someone else to pitch, and much more!

A.G. Riddle spent ten years starting internet companies before retiring to pursue his true passion of writing fiction. His novels have sold over four million copies worldwide and been translated in twenty-four languages. His new novel Lost in Time is a time travel thriller and continues his knack for blending genres, and he tells us why writers need to define their own success. And in the extended version for Patreons and Academates, the two Marks discuss defining success, filtering feedback, authenticity, the doubt train and much more!

Dr Devin Finaughty is a lecturer in forensic science the University of Kent, Chandra Finaughty has two Masters specialising in forensics and a teaching fellow at King's College, London. They answer questions from our Patrons and Academates on forensics in fiction, including the CSI effect, working a crime scene, and essential resources for writers and research.

Ed McDonald returns to the podcast with a new fantasy series, The Redwinter Chronicles, and we discuss how the fantasy genre has changed in the short time since we last spoke. Ed also discusses a life-threatening illness that has given him a new perspective on his writing. And in the extended version for Patreons and Academates, the two Marks discuss false starts, deleting work and starting over, ideas versus theme, and much more!

Danny Stack and Tim Clague are award-winning screenwriters and directors who have never waited for permission from the industry to make their movies. As Future TX, their new family science fiction adventure feature film, hits Odeon cinemas in the UK, Danny and Tim reveal how they've made and released two independent feature films. They offer great tips for screenwriters, insight into the film industry, and why now may be the best time to write and make your movie.

Jenny Ashcroft has always been fascinated with the past and how extraordinary events can change the lives of ordinary people. With her new novel, The Echoes of Love, Jenny takes us to Crete in 1936, and she reveals her best resources for researching and writing historical fiction. And Jenny talks about finding your writing peers and supporting one another (and why your family probably won't understand what you're doing!). And in the extended version for Patreons and Academates, the two Marks discuss the relationship between authors, agents and publishers, writing for the fun of it, how research can unearth unexpected nuggets and much more!

The two Marks celebrate six years of the podcast by giving their listeners a peek behind the scenes to see how a weekly podcast is made, and our editors Dave and JD offer tips for anyone who's thinking of starting their own podcast, and they spill the beans on what doesn't make it into the show.

Kim Raine is a High-Performance ADHD Coach, and the founder of ADHD Brains In Business, and she's the author of the Amazon bestseller Square Pegs: A book of Self-discovery for women with ADHD. Kim answers our listener questions on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and how it affects creatives and offers strategies on how to work with your brain rather than against it. Deep Dives are normally exclusive for our Patrons and Academates, but we've made this one available to all.

We welcome Sunday Times bestselling author CL Taylor back to the podcast with her new novel The Guilty Couple. In an interview packed with amazing advice, she takes us step-by-step through her creative process, from first idea to finished novel. And in the extended version for Patreons and Academates, the two Marks discuss wants, needs and flaws, fear of the first page, tips for using notebooks and much more!

Scott Turow is a master of suspense fiction. He returns with his new thriller, Suspect, and tells us about the challenges of taking a minor character from a previous novel and putting them front and centre of their own story. He also describes how he uses plot to test and reveal his characters. Scott also takes us through his extraordinary career, from writing Presumed Innocent on his commute, to fighting for the rights of authors as President of the Authors Guild. And in the extended version for Patreons and Academates, the two Marks discuss plot as a species of character, political writing, social media, being different to our parents, working with editors, and why authors need to value themselves more than they do, and much more!

Suzie Edge has nearly 250,000 followers on TikTok with nearly 5.5m likes. Suzie tells us what she's discovered in using the app over three years and how it's been driving pre-orders for her new book Mortal Monarchs. We discuss what kinds of content attracts followers, and why authors are perfect for TikTok because we tell stories... Please note that this episode was recorded before the death of Queen Elizabeth II, so do please bear that in mind when you hear myself and Suzie discussing her new book Mortal Monarchs, which dives into the deaths of British royals over the centuries.

Aggie Blum Thompson sent us an email in 2019 detailing her dream to see her book on a table in a bookstore. Aggie's second novel, ALL THE DIRTY SECRETS, is out now and she tells us how she made that dream a reality. This is a hugely entertaining interview and Aggie reveals how she bounced back when things didn't turn out as planned.

Luan Goldie won the Costa Short Story Prize in 2017, and her debut novel Nightingale Point was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction. Her latest novel, These Streets, touches on issues of homelessness, mental health, and single parent families, and is full of warmth, wit and life. Luan tells us how she's balanced working as a teacher and a writer and how she's developed a discipline to write, no matter what real life throws at her.

Lesley Thomson's latest book The Companion continues a bestselling streak that's been inspired by some remarkable places and people, and she shares with us her writing routines and tells us why writers should stay within their own story. And the Two Marks give listeners a peek behind the scenes of their recent live show and how it all nearly went horribly wrong.

We celebrate over 400 episodes of the podcast with a special live show from Waterstones in Canterbury with guest authors Rowan Coleman, Pernille Hughes, Nadine Matheson and Julie Wassmer. We discuss how authors can sustain their careers beyond the advance and publication date. This was a fun and lively conversation that demystifies a lot of the myths around the life of an author. Please note: the sound has been expertly remixed by our editor JD, so if the Youtube version made your ears hurt, this version is much more pleasing on the ears.

What better way to celebrate our 400th episode than by speaking to some of our longtime listeners and members of the Bestseller Academy who have faced their greatest writing challenges and come through the other side.

Elissa Soave is the winner of the inaugural Primadonna Prize, an accolade awarded to unpublished and unrepresented writers. Ginger and Me is her debut novel, a part-coming of age and part-mystery novel featuring vivid characters. Elissa reveals how her writing career started with just 500 words and the realisation that her story was worth telling.

Christopher Abbott is the award-winning author of the Watson Chronicles, a continuation of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Christopher tells us how he's worked to retain the authenticity of Conan Doyle's style, and what he's learned about crafting a mystery.

Mark Ellis is the bestselling author of the DCI Frank Merlin series set in the Second World War. Mark celebrates the publication of the fifth book in the series, Dead in the Water, and reveals his research methods and how he uses real history to develop his stories. He also tells us what he learned from his entrepreneurial life that he carried over with him to his writing.

Lisa Regan is the USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Detective Josie Quinn series, and this year sees the publication of books 14 & 15: Watch Her Disappear and Local Girl Missing. But it all started when she wrote her first mystery when she was 11-years-old. Lisa tells us how her father's words have kept her going through years of rejection, and Lisa shares what she wishes she had known when she started out writing such a successful series. And the two Marks announce a live show to celebrate 400 episodes of the podcast!

Scott Kershaw's debut The Game is a cracking high concept thriller, and Scott's route to publication is an extraordinary tale of second chances, self-publishing, co-writing, a first-class honours degree, an expensive train journey, weird business cards, and explaining publishing's system of advances and royalties to friends and family. This is a wonderfully honest interview and full of surprises. And the Two Marks discuss imposter syndrome and why you should celebrate it.

Mike Shackle returns to the podcast to celebrate Until The Last, the final part of his epic fantasy series The Last War. We've been following Mike's journey since he was inspired by our first Joe Abercrombie episode to pick up the pen and start writing again, through to his deal with Gollancz, and now to conclude the series. Mike tells us how he's only just getting started. And the Two Marks discuss Mr Stay's launch party and how it all nearly went horribly wrong...

Sarai Walker's debut novel Dietland was smash hit and made into an AMC TV series, and now she returns with The Cherry Robbers, a twisted, dark gothic novel. Sarai tells us how the novel was inspired by real people and history and how she loves writing fiction that is subversive but "wrapped in a pretty package". And the Two Marks discuss Mr Stay's book launch and his unboxing videos, and how to haggle the best deal from a publisher. Please note: there's no video of the Two Marks on Youtube this week due to broadband issues, but there is video with Sarai's interview.

Between 1998 and 2016 David Lee Stone wrote fantasy and YA books for some of the biggest publishers in the world. David discovered the hard way that a big author advance is not always a good thing. David tells us about the dark side of the dream in an incredibly honest and eye-opening interview. But he's back and on his own terms with his own publisher and The Vanquish Trilogy, and he proves that persistence pays off and that there is always hope.

Lizzy Barber's critically acclaimed debut novel My Name is Anna won the Daily Mail First Novel competition, and her latest thriller Out of Her Depth is a Richard and Judy book club selection. Lizzy's journey has taken her from winning a Disney writing competition when she was ten, to the Royal Shakespeare Company, to one of the must-read books of the summer. And Mr Stay takes delivery of his new book and gives it a sniff.